Process for purifying oxygen containing recycle gas deriving from ozonization

A process for separating and recovering organic compounds from oxygen-containing recycle gas deriving from the ozonisation of mono or polyunsaturated compounds, in the presence or absence of solvents, wherein said gas, before being recycled to an ozone generator, is subjected to a treatment in the stage order as indicated comprising:

• (a) passage through an apparatus comprising a filter containing glass wool in which peroxide products contained in the gas in the form of fumes are separated by filtering;
• (b) countercurrent scrubbing with a polyoxyalkyleneglycol having a molecular weight of 200 to 10,000 and pretreated with an anhydride of a monocarboxylic acid containing 2 to 4 carbon atoms (PAG I);
• and
• (c) countercurrent scrubbing with an excess of a basic compound of an alkali metal in the form of an aqueous solution having a pH.gtoreq.8;
• the organic compounds absorbed during said countercurrent scrubbing in stage (b) being then recovered by stripping at atmospheric pressure or under vacuum.